Biggest threat to Chloe Kim’s gold crashes hard in halfpipe

The snow is coming down hard during the women’s snowboard halfpipe final that has so far seen almost half of the competitors fall as the first runs got underway.

Gaon Choi had one of the most startling falls during her first run. Medics came out to check on the Korean athlete as she laid down in the middle of the halfpipe for about two minutes before getting back up.

Choi, who won three World Cup contests this season, arguably poses the biggest threat to reigning gold medalist Chloe Kim.

Kim put down a stellar first run of 88.00 points, bumping her quickly into first position. She’ll have to more chances to improve upon that score.

How does snow affect the halfpipe?

It’s may be too early to say how much the snow played a factor in the crashes seen during the first run.

But snow does in fact make it trickier for the snowboarders. It can slow down the halfpipe, making it harder for the boarders to gain speed. Falls can definitely be more common.

Team USA snowboarder Chloe Kim shares her thoughts on the meaning of success ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.